Ashley Andyshak Hayes

Skater’s Story

Ashley Andyshak Hayes lives in Gettysburg, Pa. with her husband, Alex. Together, they have two dogs: Toby (Golden Retriever) and Callie (Black Lab). Ashley is a media relations specialist at Geisinger.

Ashley has been fascinated by figure skating since she was 10 years old. She had the opportunity to take lessons for about seven years, but stopped when she went to college. A few years later, a friend invited her to join an adult learn-to-skate group in Harrisburg. She says it was one of the best decisions she ever made! She did not realize how much she missed skating. The group eventually became Team Reflections Synchronized Skating Team, an Open Adult team, and she skated with them for eight seasons. Now, she says, she cannot imagine her life without synchro in it!

“This team is so much more than skating and competing… it’s a group of wonderful friends that I am so grateful for!”
-Ashley Andyshak Hayes, Revolution Ice Unity Skater

Fast Facts

Years Skating Synchro: 11 years

Favorite Synchro Element: Wheel and Circle

Best Competition Moment: When we qualified for the final round at the Eastern Synchronized Skating Championships in 2014. It was the first time we’d made it out of the qualifying round, and we ended up placing third overall out of 16 teams.

Most-Loved Program Song: Music from “The Great Gatsby”

Happiest Moment with the Team: Aside from being on the ice, the trips to competitions are the best. I can’t wait to get back to it this season.

Golden Touch Blog

The Golden Touch blog shares stories of success and sisterhood. Read Ashley’s most recent Revolution Ice Unity blog post below.

A Love for Being on the IceNovember 16, 2021

I have loved ice skating since I was 10 years old. I’m not a natural athlete, so I think the only reason I was able to learn to skate at all was because I wanted so badly to do it. I love the feeling of gliding over the ice, the chilly air in my face, and the sense of accomplishment that comes with mastering a difficult element.

When I stopped skating after high school, I believed that was the end. Maybe I’d go to a public session here and there, but there were no opportunities for adults, especially those who hadn’t competed at an elite level, to continue skating. Or so I thought.

About 10 years ago, a friend I had known since my early skating days, Carole Miller, invited me to join her in an adult learn-to-skate group in Harrisburg. I finally did, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I met a group of women from different backgrounds and with different stories, united by a love of being on the ice. I was hooked, and I started going every week, practicing the fundamentals of skating and enjoying the feeling of being on the ice again.

We eventually started working on synchronized skating elements. I had never done synchro before, and it took a while for me to adjust to skating in line and in time with a group of other people. We made quick progress, and our group eventually became an Open Adult team, Team Reflections Synchronized Skating Team.

I’ve had so many opportunities with adult synchro skating over the past 10 years that I never dreamed were possible: we’ve competed all over the northeastern U.S., even going to the U.S. National Championships one year as a Masters team. And adult synchronized skating is more than just competing. Teammates on the ice become friends and supporters off the ice, and I am so grateful for the relationships I’ve developed over the years.

I am so excited to continue this skating journey with Revolution Ice Unity. Synchro has become a part of my life that I can’t do without!